Two years hell
by Ravenfyre
Summary: During a conversation with his pal Horatio, Archie discusses what happened to him during his two years of imprisonment.


Two years hell

Written by: Ravenfyre

Disclaimer: Characters do not belong to me, but the story idea does indeed...it was inspired by something that the Spanish captain said to Horatio before putting him in the hole. "Ask Mr. Kennedy, he knows that I am not afraid to be cruel."

"Glad you are doing better Archie."

" I thought I was a goner for sure."

"What happened here, Archie?"

"Well as you already know, I tried to escape, and every time I was beaten on return. Then they stuck me in the hole...but you know how that is. Only I was in there for a month...you were in there for about a week. After that I stopped caring. I was shown how cruel that they could be and I had been missing from the Indie for two years...I felt alone and desolate. What I went through with Simpson was better than this hell. It got better when you arrived though. You helped me to through the hardest part. But what really amazed me is that you stood up for Hunter when he took away my rations. You went into the hole for him. I think that is when he realized just how great you were."

Horatio smiled. "I take it that's a compliment then?"

"Don't you know it."

"So...was it really awful...I mean ...with the ordeal?"

"Horatio...I don't honestly think that you could comprehend what I went through. I thought we had it bad with Simpson...Simpson was a saint compared to what I went through here."

"Pretty bad then. May I ask what he did to you?"

"Same thing he did to you...although I got it worse...and on more than one occasion...I tried to fight back but after awhile I just gave up. The more I fought the more I got hurt...no use in killing myself, I mean in a matter of speaking."

"I must say I don't think I have ever seen you in such bad shape. When I arrived it was as if you had given up."

"I had...and your _friend_ helped me along. Don't know what exactly was going on with him. Several things I suppose."

"Poor Hunter though. He did redeem himself at the end...poor lad, just let himself die out there in that storm. Rather sad. I think he was shaping up rather nicely."

"Yes, he was certainly changing for the better. It was certainly an improvement from his disobeying attitude. But I must say that he was still an all together good guy. Stubborn as an ox but still a good guy."

"So then you are alright then? I mean seriously?"

"Horatio you really must stop worrying." He smiled a beaming smile. He was over the ordeal for the most part...now if he could just lose the nightmares.

~*~

Later that night Archie tossed and turned. Images flooding his memory.

'He found himself steps away from freedom but had the Spanish dons catching up to him. He ran faster but that turned out to be a mistake. He tripped and fell to the ground. That gave the dons all the time they needed to catch up to him. They circled him and began to hit him with the butts of their guns, he curled into a ball as he tried to protect himself as well as he could. He could feel the blood surfacing and rushing out of his skin and he could feel the bruises forming on his already tender flesh. They took him back to his cell and threw him in, disregarding the fact that he was injured. 

'Where is Horatio and the others? Do they think that I am dead?'

He began to cut down on his rations as his beatings became more frequent, and he began to lose hope, until finally he was thrown in the hole, due to his last escape attempt and burst of courage. The guards kicked sand on him, and would taunt him from above. He could barely move, it was as if he had been split in two. He tried to shift and lay down but it turned out that there was no room to do so. And if he stood he wouldn't get very far, seeing as how his head wasn't too far from the ceiling.'

He tossed and turned some more until his eyes fluttered open. Horatio was still fast asleep...he laid back down and stared up at the ceiling. 'It's alright' he thought to himself. 'Horatio is here and the torment is over...Simpson is dead and there is no need to fear him anymore. It can only get better from here.' With a contented smile he eased himself into an easy sleep. He knew that no harm would ever come his way again, outside of battle of course. He wouldn't let anyone step on him or push him around...with Horatio as a friend he could do anything. His two years of hell were officially over.


End file.
